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TITLE: The Use of "Substitution" As A Creative Thinking
Tool-
AUTHOR: Miriam
Furst, Kellond, Tucson,
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:
AZ
I-6, creative thinking
following is part of a six week unit designed
to teach the seven creative thinking techniques represented
by the acronym, "SCAMPER. "
SCAMPER provides students with a mini "toolbox" of
techniques to use in virtually any situation requiring the
production of creative ideas.
The unit begins with a brj-ef dlscussion of the val-ue of
creative thinking. This is folJ-owed by a visualization in
which students create thej-r own "thinking place. " In their
thinking place is a box whlch they open and explore. The
first time they open the box they find one pj-ece of red
paper with the word, "Substitute," written on it. At that
point, they "return" from their thinking pJ-ace and the
substitute l-esson (below) begins.
In each succeeding lesson, students return to their
thinking place, open their thinking box and find new sÌj-ps
of paper with additional SCAMPER thinking techniques written
OVERVIEW: The
on them.
The SCAMPER technique used in this unit are:
S
C
AMP
E
R
substitute
combine
associate
magnify/minify
put to other
uses
efaborate
rearrange
of the unit j-s for students to realize
that creative thinking is a skil-l- that can be learned. ft
doesn't just happen "magicalfy." Each SCAMPER technique is
taught with a "shotgun" approach that is, students l-earn
to apply each technique j-n a wide variety of ways rather
than concentrate on one activity that exemplifies each
technique. The reason for this is to demonstrate that each
of the SCAMPER techniques is a multipurpose tool- and that
the activities used to exempJ-ify each technique are just
examples of the endless array of uses for that technigue.
Even though the lesson below was designed as part of a
total unit it can be used as an independent l-esson to teach
the specific creative thinking technique of substitution.
PURPOSE: The purpose
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OBJECTfVES: As a result
will:
r.
2.
3.
4.
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of the Substitute lesson, students
Subs;t-itute body moverLents in a rhy,:hrn activity.
Substitute words in a famifiar song.
Substitute words in a sentence.
Suggest substitutions for the chocolate center of M&M
candies.
General-ize from the specific activities
presented in
this lesson to other applications of the Substitute
technique.
chart with famiÌiar song wrj-tten on it
e.g. Old MacDonald, Hush Little Baby, On Top of Old Smoky;
M&M candies, ât least one for each student
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
ACT]VTTIES AND
1.
PROCEDURES:
Brief discussion of the meaning of substitution, âs
used in this lesson - to replace one thing with
another, whiJ-e keeping the basic structure the same
e.g. a substitute teacher replaces the regular teacher,
but the structure of the day remains basically the
same.
2.
3.
4.
Emphaslze that substitution, as a creative thinking
tool, can be used in an ENDLESS variety of ways.
SUBST]TUT]NG MOTIONS ]N A RHYTHM GAME
a. Demonstrate the following 4-beat rhythm game - clap
hands once, slap both hands on thighs, snap fingers
on each hand one time.
b. Have students join in, until- the whofe class is
doing rhythm in unison.
c. Substitute one motion (e.9. tap head instead of
clapping hands) and have students fol-l-ow aJ_ong.
d. Have students take turns demonstrating ways to
substitute other body movements while keeping the
rhythm the same. Have the cfass foflow along with
each ttleader. "
SUBSTITUTING WORDS ]N A SONG
a. Show a chart of a familiar song. (e.9. Hush Littl_e
Baby)
b.
c.
d.
e.
Have the students sing the song.
fdentify rhyming pairs of words - bird-word, brassglass, broke-goat. Ask students to suggest other
words for the end of th sentence, "If that
(e. 9. fLy , tal-k, run) .
mockingbird don't
Have them choose a rhyming word to substitute in
the next line.
Have students sing their new version of the song.
Continue substituting rhyming pairs in the
remaining verses.
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i¡ürite the sentence, "Jim i.s a big boy. " Have students
suggest substítutions for f-he words big and boy.
CREATING A NEVü CANDY
a. Give each student and M&M candy. Have them take a
small bite.
b. Then have them take another bite, but this time,
ask them to imagine they are tasting something
el-se beside the chocolate in the center of the
candy shel-1. List students' chocolate
substitutions on the board (e.9. ice cream,
marshmallow, orange juice, vitamin, etc.
Encourage wild and wacky responses.
c. Have them suggest name for their new candy.
Review ü/ays the substitute technique \i\ras used in this
lesson - create a neh/ rhythm game, ne\^r song, more
interesting sentence, ne\^i candy.
6.
)
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TYING fT ALL TOGETHER: Have student work in pairs or groups
of four and brainstorm other ways the Substitution technique
might be used to generate neh/ ideas. If they have
difficulty
thinkinq of ideas, suqgest that they mentally
review their day and think of situations in whlch
substitution coul-d be used - e.g. instead of brushing their
teeth in the morning, how might they cfean their teeth;
instead of arguing with their brother or sister, what
actions might be substituted; instead of a written book
report, what reporting method might be substituted; instead
of watching TV when they get home, how might they entertain
themselves, etc. Encourage muJ-tiple responses to each
situation.
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